Gordon takes fifth during Darlington qualifying session

DARLINGTON, S.C. – Jeff Gordon picked up his third top-five starting spot of the 2011 season during Friday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying session at Darlington Raceway.  Meanwhile, Jimmie Johnson qualified 19th, Mark Martin was scored 28th and Dale Earnhardt Jr. picked up the 30th starting spot.

Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, will line up fifth for Saturday night’s race. Two of Gordon’s seven career victories at Darlington were achieved from the fifth starting spot. He went to Victory Lane from fifth in 1995 and 1998. Along with his seven trips to Victory Lane there, the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet has scored 18 top-five finishes and 21 top-10s in 30 starts.

Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, will line up 19th on Saturday. He has made 12 Sprint Cup starts at Darlington, and in that time he has earned two wins, six top-five finishes and nine top-10s. The five-time defending Cup champion is ranked second in points coming off an eighth-place finish at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway last weekend.

Martin will line up his No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet 28th on Saturday. Martin has visited Victory Lane twice at Darlington Raceway; first in 1993 and again in 2009. Including his two wins, Martin has earned 17 top-five finishes and 26 top-10s in 44 Cup starts. 

In 16 Cup starts at the 1.366-mile oval, Earnhardt has recorded three top-five finishes and seven top-10s. Earnhardt, who will drive a specially painted No. 88 AMP Energy Sugar Free/National Guard Chevrolet on Saturday, is ranked fourth in the championship standings.

The race will be televised at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday on FOX.